Erucamide regulates retinal neurovascular crosstalk
Neurovasculoglial crosstalk is critical in establishing and maintaining a functional neurovascular unit. Breakdown in the unit is central to many neurodegenerative disorders of the CNS of which the retina is a component. A growing literature indicated that primary fatty acid amides (PFAMs) can regulate this crosstalk between vasculature and neuronal tissues. In this study we describe a central role for erucamide, a 22:1 mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid amide, in degenerating retinal tissues. Using high-resolution global mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, we cataloged metabolites in murine models of retinal degeneration and show that while PFAMs, in general, are highly dysregulated, erucamide is the one most significantly diminished during photoreceptor atrophy. Using rodent models of retinal degeneration and novel organosilane-modified porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) for the in vivo delivery of erucamide, we demonstrate that erucamide activates CD11b+ myeloid cells, leading to the upregulation of angiogenic and neurotrophic cytokines that stabilize retinal degeneration. We identified TMEM19 as a novel binding protein for erucamide that is crucial for human iPSC-derived macrophage precursor cells activation and subsequent neurotrophic and angiogenic factor production. These findings reveal a previously unknown PFAM pathway that is modulated during retinal degenerative diseases, demonstrating that erucamide or functional analogues and their action through TMEM19 may be useful as a therapeutic alternative to neuroprotective and stem cell-based approaches for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases.